Virbhadra Singh a respected leader but tells lies: Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20

War of attrition between former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu further escalated today with the latter reacting sharply to the reported statement of the former Chief Minister that the PCC chief had weakened the party.

In a strongly worded rejoinder, Sukhu said, “Virbhadra Singh is a respected leader but tells lies,” and added that he remained the Chief Minister six times but the Congress never repeated government under his leadership which implies that he was a power-driven politician who always tried to strengthen himself and not the party.

“It was because of his ego that Cabinet minister Anil Sharma, independent MLA Balbir Verma, former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia, former Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) Madhu Sood and several other leaders left the Congress which cost the party dear in the last Assembly elections,” he said.

For the past 35-40 years, Virbhadra Singh has been pursuing the policy of opposition. He opposed most of senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Ram Lal Thakur, former Union minister Sukh Ram, senior party leaders Anand Sharma and Vidya Stokes and even former minister Narayan Chand Prashar. Sukhu said Virbhadra Singh was given the command to lead the party in the 2017 Assembly elections but the Congress could not form the government and now he cannot blame others for the defeat.

He further said that the Congress lost all four Lok Sabha seats, Sujanpur and Bhoranj Assembly by-elections and the SMC elections in spite of the fact that tickets were given to the candidates of his choice.

Sukhu also revealed that 56 tickets out of 68 in the 2017 Assembly elections were given on Singh’s recommendation, while only 12 tickets were given on the recommendation of the HPCC, out of which six won.

Counselling Virbhadra Singh to refrain from making such public statements, he claimed that the Congress party would not only give a tough fight to the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections but will win all seats.